“As true fans of Walt Disney and his Disneyland Resort, it is the sole purpose of “Tales From The Mouse House – A Disneyland Podcast” to deliver the magic and happiness we have experienced in all that Walt Disney created with his Original Park to our listeners by delivering the most entertaining and sincere shows possible through the use of audio and video episodes. Following Walt's example, we will always strive to improve what we bring to our listeners"

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Happy Easter and welcome to episode 68! We're back to a more...."normal" format on this episode! We discuss all kinds of fun stuff in our Host Chat, like, the crazy weather in Arizona and how it's creating all kinds of misery.....like Joyce's allergies raging full speed ahead! Because of the weird weather - one week it was freezing cold, the next HOT, then the next cold, well, you get the picture, all the desert plants are blooming early and in full force. So, poor Joyce is suffering horribly from it. Oh, and we have a winner in our audiobook giveaway! Tune in to find out WHO! If you "LIKE" our FaceBook page, keep an eye out because we're going to launch another contest this coming week on FaceBook for...yep, ANOTHER copy of the audiobook!

Oh how we MISS THEE!

And of course, as many of you already know, I (Al) am without formal employment (nice way to put it, huh?) so I've been really working on my VoiceOver stuff. In fact, Joyce and I decided to take our podcast production "company" and turn it in to a legitimate COMPANY. We're calling it Storyteller Productions (cuz, well, we tell stories...) and I've embarked on a fun voiceover career. I've taken our good friend Dave Smith's (author of In The Shadow Of The Matterhorn) advice and have begun seeking audiobook narration gigs. And I've got FOUR in production right now! One is a book I'm REALLY suited for: a Walt Disney biography! YEAH!!

Brand New Audiobook!

In our Attraction Reviews, I start a new series reviewing extinct attractions, but only ones that were around since 2007 when we started visiting. Should be fun! And in Food Reviews, Joyce discusses some alternatives for those Resort Guests who would rather have something not of the meat variety! Joyce and I really want to thank all of you who tune in to our fun little show. We truly have a passion for Walt Disney and his beloved Disneyland, and we're honored that you allow us to share that love with you!

Hey, if YOU'RE in need of a great travel agent, why not give our sponsor, Randy Crane from Mouse Ear Vacations a holler! I bet he can make YOUR vacation a MAGICAL one! Visit Randy at www.randyc-mouseearvacations.com As always, If you’d like to send in comments for the show, you can send us an email to talespodcast@cox.net, leave us voicemail on the Hotline at 304-TALES23, leave us feedback in iTunes or leave comments for us on our Twitter account @talespodcast. Heck, you can even find us on FaceBook, just search for Tales From The House House - Disneyland podcast! If you'd like to listen to the show, you can find it on iTunes, on our podcast site at talescast.com, the direct episode link: Episode 68, or on Stitcher Radio now! Just visit www.stitcher.com and search for Tales From The Mouse House - Disneyland Podcast!AND, we're listed on Stitcher Radio now! Just visit www.stitcher.com and search for Tales From The Mouse House - Disneyland Podcast!Thanks for making us part of your Disney experience and remember…"Make It A Mickey Day!" ~~ Al & Joyce

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Welcome to episode 67! As we said at the beginning of the year...we’re offering up some out of the normal episodes in 2013 and THIS episode is ONE OF THOSE! On this PACKED FULL episode (yeah, it’s LONG), we share two awesome interviews and a terrific review from our GREAT Disney friend Mr. Daps! First up, our recent chat with Michele Morabito about her experiences at the Dapper Days event at Disneyland. This is one cool "unofficial but recognized" Day to behold. Imagine visiting Disneyland when Walt himself walked the Resort. Everyone dressed up in their "Sunday Best". Well, THAT'S what Dapper Days is like! Guests wearing awesome period outfits, from the 1940's and 50's. Michele describes her visit and her lucky breakfast at Club 33!

Michele at Dapper Days...Inside Club 33!

Then, our great friend Mr. Daps is joined by Murray The Bell Hop and Roger Rabbit to discuss their coverage of the all new Fantasy Faire in Fantasy Land (Disneyland). Talk about adding a bit of fairytale magic to your Disneyland Resort vacation...recently Disney did JUST that! And Daps Magic was there for the scoop, and shares with us!

All New Fantasy Faire at Disneyland

Then, if all THAT weren’t enough, Joyce turns the microphone on me and author David Smith and we discuss Dave’s awesome new book, In The Shadow of the Matterhorn: Intimate Stories about Life, Love and Laughter at Disneyland - his behind the scenes look at Disneyland from a cast members perspective! Then, we launch an awesome new contest that can put YOU in the Shadow Of The Matterhorn!

All New Audiobook Narrated By Al Kessel!

Hey, if YOU'RE in need of a great travel agent, why not give our sponsor, Randy Crane from Mouse Ear Vacations a holler! I bet he can make YOUR vacation a MAGICAL one! Visit Randy at www.randyc-mouseearvacations.com

As always, If you’d like to send in comments for the show, you can send us an email to talespodcast@cox.net, leave us voicemail on the Hotline at 304-TALES23, leave us feedback in iTunes or leave comments for us on our Twitter account @talespodcast. Heck, you can even find us on FaceBook, just search for Tales From The House House - Disneyland podcast! If you'd like to listen to the show, you can find it on iTunes, on our podcast site at talescast.com, the direct episode link: Episode 67, or on Stitcher Radio now! Just visit www.stitcher.com and search for Tales From The Mouse House - Disneyland Podcast!

AND, we're listed on Stitcher Radio now! Just visit www.stitcher.com and search for Tales From The Mouse House - Disneyland Podcast!

Thanks for making us part of your Disney experience and remember…"Make It A Mickey Day!" ~~ Al & Joyce

Monday, March 4, 2013

Ok, so the term "completely and totally unequivocally awesome" may be over used these days (yeah, ok, I made that up), but it DOES apply to Disney's Wreck-It Ralph. When we first saw some unfinished footage of this film during the D23 Expo in 2011, we KNEW this would be one of those rare movies we would brave the theater crowds for...and we were not disappointed. Well, now The Walt Disney Studios has given us one of the greatest gifts of all: Wreck-It Ralph on DVD and Blu-Ray so we can enjoy it as often as we like, in the comfort of our OWN HOME (excuse me for a moment...I need to weep a bit).

Weekly Meeting of Bad Anon

On February 5, 2013, Wreck-It Ralph was released on HD Digital Download. The early digital release marks a first for the Disney company. Then, on March 5, 2013, the HD Digital 3D formats will be released. Winner of five Annie Awards including Best Animated Feature, the Producers Guild Award, a Critics Choice Film Awards and National Board of Review for Best Animated Film, Wreck-It Ralph, as you may have guessed, brings to life the world of video games, where, after the arcade closes for the day, "Game Central Station" comes alive with characters from our favorite video games, including cameos from Sonic The Hedgehog, Q-Bert and more. Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) is the villain in 30 year old (but still fairly popular) arcade game called Fix It Felix. It's Ralph's job to wreck the apartment building the good citizens all live in, and of course, it's up to Felix (voiced by Jack McBrayer) to repair all Ralph's damage with his magic hammer. For 30 long years, Ralph has lived in Felix's shadow. Every night after the arcade closes, the good citizens celebrate Felix's heroism, while poor Ralph is banished to his rubble-pile home. Then, for the 30th anniversary of Fix It Felix, Ralph sees that the citizens have thrown a huge party for Felix, complete with CAKE, but have neglected to include Ralph - without whom there would be NO game. As Ralph attempts to crash the party, he's informed that he's the bad guy and will be nothing more. Of course, this does not sit well with our hero...err, I mean villain.

Ralph In Action..HUGE hands!

So, Ralph decides he's tired of playing the role of bad-guy and takes matters into his own hands and sets out to prove everyone wrong, and he embarks on an action-packed adventure to prove to everyone that he is a true hero with a BIG heart! As he explores some exciting new worlds, he teams up with some unlikely new friends, including a feisty "glitch" of a program by the name of Vanellope von Schweetz (voiced by Sarah Silverman). And that's where things get interesting! Now, I'd go into deeper detail, but then, why would you have to see it for yourselves??? Besides...no spoilers here!

Ralph and Vanellope

Wreck It Ralph is without doubt one of the best movies we've seen in a long time. The animation is fantastic and seeing it on Blu-Ray is as beautiful as seeing it in digital 3D. As is usual, Disney paid so much attention to detail in this film that you almost forget it's animation - until Ralph knocks down a building! This film appeals to all ages really, and it's truly appropriate for everyone. The story is terrific, but beyond that, there is a touching and heartwarming message. It's about friendship, being true to yourself, to who and what you really are, and about sacrifice.

Best Friends Come In All Sizes

Wreck It Ralph offers a great escape from the real world, if only for a short time (something Disney is absolutely perfect at giving us). Yet it also serves up some valuable lessons, not just for the young ones but for adults as well. Without realizing we've just been schooled, Disney has created a great portal to teach everyone the value of others, to look past what we see, and see others as they are deep down. And when a movie can make me feel good about learning something, AND entertain me...well, full endorsement from me! And you thought it was just another cute cartoon!

Director Rich Moore

Now, there are some pretty cool features that are exclusive to the Blu-Ray editions, and trust me, they ARE cool. When you pause the movie, instead of the boring old pause menu, you see a count-down to intermission pop up. Then, a new feature called "Disney Intermission: The Gamer's Guide To Wreck-It Ralph" begins! Hosted by Chris Hardwick (of Walking Dead/Talking Dead fame) this pause feature takes viewers through a series of 10 video segments offering an inside look at the many video game references, Disney references and other hidden surprises featured in the film! Now, I'm not going to spoil all of them, but for example, on the Fix-It Felix game, notice the high score of 120501. There's a very important significance to those numbers...think you can figure it out? And, there are at LEAST two hidden Mickey's in the film (but I'm not saying where!), and finally, director Rich Moore has a sort of...cameo in the film. See if you can spot him! Oh, and be sure to watch until the VERY end of the movie, you'll notice some pixelated code that some of you out there may be able to decipher!

Disney's Wreck-It Ralph will be available on Tuesday March 5, 2013 on the following formats:

4-Disc Blu-Ray Combo Pack

(Blu-Ray 3D + Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital Copy)

MSRP $49.99 in the US and $56.99 in Canada

2-Disc Blu-Ray Combo Pack

(Blu-Ray+DVD)

MSRP $39.99 in the US and $46.99 in Canada

DVD

MRSP $29.99 in the US and $35.99 in Canada

All the Blu-Ray versions come with the following Features:

Bit by Bit: Creating the worlds of "Wreck-It Ralph"

The short takes viewers into Game Central Station with the artists who brought Sugar Rush, Hero's Duty and Fix It Felix, Jr to life

Alternate & Deleted Scenes

Video Game Commercials

Viewers can check out the commercials created for the video games featured in the film!

"Paperman"

This Academy Award Winning short showcases first time director John Kahrs' minimalist black and white style with his story about a lonely young man in mid-century New York City, who relies on his heart, imagination, a stack of papers and a little luck, to change his destiny and win the girl of his dreams!

The DVD version has the feature "Paperman".

You can buy Disney's Wreck-It Ralph just about anywhere, or, you can help out Tales From The Mouse House and purchase it from our Tales Amazon Store (just click the link)

Bottom line is, there are many, many films out there that are entertaining, moral, teaches a decent lesson, and visually beautiful, but there are very few that have all of these qualities. Disney's Wreck-It Ralph definitely has all of them! A must have for any movie fan!

Welcome to episode 66! On this show we thought we’d give you all a special treat...we share some of our favorite audio from the Disneyland Resort! That’s right, every time we visit the Happiest Place On Earth, we take our trusty Sony personal recorder with us and capture as much audio as we can: from the attractions, the shows and even just the atmospheric stuff! We LOVE the sounds of Disneyland! On this episode, we share some of our favorites. First up, the BEST sound you can hear: the opening announcement from Disneyland for the day!

You Are Part Of The Rebellion!

Our next offering is the ACTUAL audio from Star Tours 2.0! Join us as we unwittingly join the Rebel Alliance in a...gulp...battle with the EMPIRE! Will we survive???

Then a couple that will make you laugh, and laugh, and laugh some more - our good friend Kenny (from the M*A*S*H 4077th podcast) met us at Disneyland during one visit and he rode California Screamin’ with Joyce (and yes, he DID scream!) and the Hollywood Tower Of Terror with me (and yes, he DID scream!).

Get Ready Screamers!!

Oh By The Way...It's HAUNTED

Then we close it out with a long audio from one of the classic shows from Disneyland - Captain EO! The ENTIRE SHOW AUDIO...including those snazzy dance numbers!

He's Bad, He's Bad, You Know It!!

We've got a lot of great shows planned for you coming soon. As we mentioned, we're going to the Disney D23 Fanniversary Event in Phoenix this Wednesday, and you know us! We'll take LOTS of photos, LOTS of video and LOTS of audio (and I won't wait to put them up this time!). And...in case you haven't heard yet, the audiobook version of In The Shadow Of The Matterhorn: Intimate Stories about Life, Love and Laughter at Disneyland is complete AND available for purchase! YEAH! You can visit Audible.Com to pick up YOUR copy, or visit iTunes and buy it there. It's an awesome story and, oh, by the way...I narrated it!! (me...Al). The author, David Smith, will be on Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland Podcast VERY soon to chat about the book...in fact, Joyce is turning the tables on ME and putting me in the interviewee seat, and she'll interview me and Dave about the whole audiobook conversion process...so yeah...THAT's going to be FUN! A LOT of funny stories, let me tell you.

Hey, if YOU'RE in need of a great travel agent, why not give our sponsor, Randy Crane from Mouse Ear Vacations a holler! I bet he can make YOUR vacation a MAGICAL one! Visit Randy at www.randyc-mouseearvacations.comAs always, If you’d like to send in comments for the show, you can send us an email to talespodcast@cox.net, leave us voicemail on the Hotline at 304-TALES23, leave us feedback in iTunes or leave comments for us on our Twitter account @talespodcast. Heck, you can even find us on FaceBook, just search for Tales From The House House - Disneyland podcast! And why not check out our new blog site at www.talespodcast.blogspot.com for some awesome stories? You can find more detailed show notes there as well.AND, we're listed on Stitcher Radio now! Just visit www.stitcher.com and search for Tales From The Mouse House - Disneyland Podcast!Thanks for making us part of your Disney experience and remember…"Make It A Mickey Day!" ~~ Al & Joyce